Mrs. Yang glared at Yang Ling, not wanting to pay him any attention. Yang Ling rubbed his nose. Back then, his father had offended someone and was exiled to Sichuan to serve as an official. Upon his return, he excitedly told him he'd found a bride for him, a beauty as beautiful as a flower. He'd been waiting so long for this; who could have imagined marrying her would lead to such suffering? But he wouldn't argue with a woman; he'd just let Mrs. Yang have the upper hand.
Luo Shenyuan came here to ask Yining whether she should go and pay her respects to Gu Daxueshi, who was drinking tea with Lord Xu in the banquet hall, since he was her grandfather after all.
Little Yining's maternal grandfather, although he became angry after Gu Minglan's death and stopped communicating with him, she still received birthday gifts from him every year when she was little, until she left the Luo family. She thought about it and decided to go.
The banquet in the rest area had already ended. Incense was burning on the long table. Xu Wei and others were talking on the two rows of armchairs. Master Gu was testing Xie Yun's knowledge.
"Xie, little miss, read Zhuangzi. I also read Zhuangzi. One of the chapters in the book, "Zhi Bei You," is my favorite. It says, 'Only when you are free from thought and worry can you know; only when you are without place and clothes can you find the way; only when you have no origin and no way can you attain the way.' Did you ever understand this saying while studying with your grandfather?"
Xie Yun smiled faintly and said, "Mr. Zhi traveled in the north and met Wuwei, who said he didn't want to preach the Tao. He didn't know how to preach the Tao. Mr. Zhi traveled in the south and met Zhuangju, who preached the Tao but forgot the Tao. Therefore, the Tao is not the true Tao. Grandpa Gu's words mean that Mr. Wuwei is like this, without thought or basis, indescribable and cannot be forced."
After hearing this, Gu Xueshi praised Xie Yun even more: "She is so young, but it is amazing that she has such insights!"
Someone outside reported that Lord Luo was coming.
Luo Shenyuan walked in, followed by a girl about fourteen years old with a woman's bun.
Luo Shenyuan introduced to Master Gu, "This is my wife, Wei."
Yi Ning glanced at Lord Gu and saw nothing that resembled her. But seeing his white beard, she remembered that this was the grandfather who had given little Yi Ning the nesting dolls. She bowed and said, "Hello, Lord Gu."
Lord Gu didn't know why she came to pay her respects to him. He glanced at Xie Yun, whom he admired very much. This bright and beautiful woman, with great knowledge, why didn't Luo Shenyuan like her?
He felt a little sorry for Xie Yunming, so he smiled and said, "The young lady is quite young, so I accept your greetings. Since you are Lord Luo's wife, you must have read a little. I wonder if you can answer the question I asked Miss Xie just now?"
Among the women in the inner chamber, who could possibly study as well as Xie Yun? Xie Yun didn't need to learn needlework, she could only manage the kitchen. Lord Xie thought that was tacky and that it would be enough to have a maid to help her. So, he focused entirely on studying. Lord Gu's question was actually not a good one; an ordinary woman wouldn't be able to answer it, and it seemed a bit of a challenge.
Luo Shenyuan frowned. The question wasn't difficult for him, but he was a Jinshi who had passed the imperial examination twice. Yining had only studied under his supervision for a few years. What did she know?
He stood in front of her and tried to answer for her, but Yi Ning held his hand. Then she smiled slightly, thinking that maybe she really shouldn't have come to pay her respects.
Lord Gu clearly doesn't like her very much.
Instead, she raised her head and said calmly, "'Zhi Bei You' is long and complex. In my opinion, it can be summed up in four words: 'No Dao is Dao'. If I force a description, it's wisdom, not Dao."
All present were highly respected figures: Lord Xie had been the Dean of the Academy, Old Master Gu had been the Imperial Tutor, and Xu Wei was currently the Grand Secretary of the Jinshen Palace. Xie Yun's response was actually quite good. Yi Ning had said that it was just showing off before an expert, but she didn't think it was a big deal. One year, Lord Gu gave her a painting called "Zhi Bei You" (The Journey to the North), inscribed with the inscription "Wu Dao Wei Dao." Because of this painting, she developed a keen interest in Zhuangzi, reading it far better than the Four Books and Five Classics.
The room suddenly became quiet for a moment.
Mr. Xie beside him smiled: "Yun'er, you are said to be knowledgeable. This little girl is not much different from you, and her insights are even deeper than yours."
Xie Yun said coquettishly, "Grandpa, even if Mrs. Luo San speaks better than me, how can you praise an outsider like this!" She and Luo Yining had a deep grudge, and it was unlikely to improve. Not targeting her was already a great restraint on her part, so don't even think she would be kind to Luo Yining.
Mr. Xie said to Mr. Gu, "Look, the little girl is getting angry!" He then said to Xie Yun, "Look at Mrs. Luo San, she's even younger than you, but she's not as petty as you."
Lord Gu said, "Don't blame Miss Xie for saying that. As a grandfather, you naturally praise your granddaughter. I think what Miss Xie said was very good. I admire her anyway!"
Seeing the expressionless face of Lord Gu, Yining smiled and said, "Now that I have paid my respects, I will withdraw first." Yining bowed again, then turned and walked out of the room.
Standing outside the door, she took a deep breath at the evergreens in the flowerbed.
Luo Shenyuan was silent for a moment, then turned around and bowed to Lord Gu and said with a smile, "I forgot to mention that Yining is my adopted sister and was raised by my elder sister Yihui. She should call Lord Gu grandpa, but it's a pity that she forgot it just now." Lord Gu asked Yining a question as soon as she entered the door, but she didn't have the chance to speak out loud.
Lord Gu's expression was shaken. "The person just now was...Yining?"
Is she the granddaughter he has never met?
After Minglan's death, Gu's uncle went to the Luo family to cause a scene, and the two families parted ways on bad terms. Furthermore, he was already old, so he never visited the Luo family. Knowing that there was such a young granddaughter, he sent her gifts every year. He even saw her when she was one month old. She was such a chubby little child, and she had grown so big in the blink of an eye!
"Her name is Yining." Luo Shenyuan glanced at Master Gu and continued, "There's a painting of 'Zhi Bei You' hanging in our home, so she's read it the most. If you ask about another chapter, she might not be able to answer."
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